The first New York-Penn League hit off the bat of Nathan Mikolas made the 20-year-old left-fielder from Kenosha, Wis., a hero.

If only the road to the major leagues was paved with that type of gold.

The Staten Island Yankees hit another speed bump during Wednesday night's 1-0 loss to the Aberdeen IronBirds, but they were flying high 24 hours earlier when Mikolas delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to cap a 4-3 victory in the series opener.

"It's all about learning experiences, and what better way to step up and handle that opportunity, gain experience and confidence through that," said manager Mario Garza. "I was really happy for him."

The Baby Bombers (3-3) have been trying to figure out New York-Penn League pitching during the first week of the 76-game season, but they're not alone. The circuit has always been known for advanced pitching against hitters who often are making the transition from college campuses to the pro baseball world.

"Sometimes it takes failure to learn, to make adjustments and be able to succeed later on," said Garza. "That's why we're here when you get down to it. At the end of the day, we're here for development and always looking for those opportunities to improve our approach."

Mikolas grew up in football country in Wisconsin, but was good enough at baseball to be selected by the New York Yankees in the third round of the 2012 draft. He spent the past two summers in the Gulf Coast League and batted .256 with five home runs and 35 RBI in 2013.

"Nathan's a good hitter," said Garza. "Once he settles in, you're going to see it here as well."

Mikolas blasted a two-run walk-off home run last season against the GCL Astros on a team managed by Garza. Later last summer, he had a seven RBI game with a homer and two doubles against the GCL Braves.

"It was a tough transition (to pro ball) from high school," said Mikolas, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound lefty. "But you learn quickly at this level and Hawk (hitting coach Ty Hawkins) is awesome. I've only been here a week and he's helped me a tremendous amount already."

Mikolas delivered his game-winning hit with runners at second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth.

"The pressure is on the pitcher in that situation, that's what we keep reminding them of," said Garza. "There's more pressure on the pitcher than there is on the hitter. So enjoy the moment, get a pitch and put it in play."

Mikolas did enjoy the moment, although he went 0-for-3 Wednesday night and is 1-for-12 on the young season.